The "Maple Leaf" and "Numeral" Issues
1897 - 1903
Domestic Rates
1897 - 1903
Domestic Rates
Introduction
The "Maple Leaf" Issue 1897
In late 1897, the Post Office Department began to replace the Small Queen stamps with a new issue featuring a vignette of Queen Victoria adapted from the photo by W.& D. Downey taken at the time of the Jubilee celebrations.
The Jubilee Portrait of Queen Victoria
W. & D. Downey, London
The " Numeral" Issue 1898
Within a few months of the release of the "Maple Leaf" issue, a new series bearing numerals of the denominations as well as words was planned because of problems with the Maple Leaf series:
- French-speaking Canadians found it difficult to read the values
- postal clerks complained of the difficulty in distinguishing the denominations
- the UPU emphasized the necessity of having the denominations in arabic numeral
National Archives of Canada
This post shows Maple Leaf and Numeral stamps paying domestic rates and charges.
1. Forward Letter
a) To December 31, 1898
The forward letter rate (out-of-town) was 3 cents per ounce.
Brockville to Sussex, Anpril 10, 1898
3 cents letter rate
Squared Circle cancellation
Granby to Montreal, April 25, 1898
3 cents letter rate
Windsor to Athens, May 13, 1898
3 cents letter rate
Squared Circle cancellation
Toronto to Athens, June 30, 1898
3 cents letter rate
Flag cancellation
Uxbridge to Halifax, November 8, 1898
Aylmer West to Yarmouth, October 1, 1898
3 cents letter rate
b) From January 1, 1898
The forward letter rate was decreased from 3 cents to 2 cents per ounce.
Toronto to Halifax, April 24, 1899
2 cents letter rate
Cardinal to Athens, March 1, 1899
2 cents letter rate
Toronto to London, April 7, 1899
2 cents letter rate
Truro to London, September 2, 1889
3 cent numeral surcharged 2 cents
(Earliest use July 31, 1899)
Montreal to London, June 11, 1900
2 cents letter rate
St. John's to Fredericton, August 4, 1900
4 cents paying the 2 ounce letter rate (Double weight)
Hamilton to Paris Station, May 6, 1901
2 cents letter rate
Toronto to Paris Station, January 14, 1903
2 cents letter rate
Welland to Coldstream, February 3, 1902
Truro to Arichat, April 14, 1903
Halifax & Sydney RPO
2. Drop (Local) Letter
The non-carrier drop letter rate was 1 cent per ounce. The letter-carrier drop letter rate was 2 cents per ounce.
a) Non-Carrier
Shelbourne to Montreal, February 17, 1898
1 cent non-carrier rate
Saint John,N.B., drop letter
1 cent non-carrier rate
Yarmouth drop letter, February 25, 1899
1 cent non-carrier rate
Amherstburg local letter, December 8, 1900
1 cent non-carrier rate
Prescott local letter,February 6, 1902
1 cent non-carrier rate
b) Carrier
Toronto local letter, May 28, 1898
2 cents carrier rate
Hamilton local letter, August 25, 1899
Grand Trunk Station cancellation
2 cents on 3 cent numeral stamp paying the carrier rate
Grand Trunk Station
Hamilton Letter Carrier Mark
August 25
Toronto local letter, February 1, 1901
2 cents carrier rate
Winnipeg local letter, April 16, 1902
4 cents paying the 2 ounce carrier rate (double weight)
3. Post Card
The post card rate was 1 cent.
Hamilton to Paris, March 8, 1898
1 cent post card rate
Toronto to Victoria, July 13, 1901
1 cent post card rate
Exposition Flag cancellation
St. Catharines to Thamesville, April 19, 1899
1 cent post card rate
Toronto to Douglas, April 12, 1899
1 cent post card rate
Collingwood to Newmarket, May 2, 1898
1 cent post card rate
4. Third Class Mail : Miscellaneous Matter
Printed matter was classified as miscellaneous third class matter. The rate was 1 cent for every 4 ounces.
Brown's Nurseries to Allandale, June 19, 1900
1 cent third printed matter rate
Winnipeg to Athens (Athens receiver May 29, 1900)
1 cent printed matter rate
Toronto to Thornhill, July 20, 1901
1 cent printed matter rate
Printed Matter Post Cards
The following cards with printed messages were prepaid 1 cent, the post card rate as well as the printed matter rate.
Montreal local card, December 27, 1901
The Mail and Empire Toronto to Waterloo, July 31, 1901
1 cent precancelled stamp
Canada's Great Agricultural & Industrial Exposition
Toronto local mailing, May 30 1901
1 cent precancelled stamp
Toronto Exposition flag cancellation
5. Second Class
The sheet below represents the payment of 51 pounds of newspapers at 1 cent per pound.
Toronto, February 5, 1901
Second Class Matter, 1 cent per lb. rate
51 cents paying the 51 lb. rate
6. Registration
The registration fee was 5 cents.
3 cents forward letter rate period
Everton to Toronto, July 11, 1898
8 cents stamp paying 3 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
Bognor to Toronto, April 11, 1898
3 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
Kirkfield to Toronto, July 7, 1898
3 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
2 cents forward letter rate period (From December 25, 1898)
Lower Ridge, N.B., to Sussex, February 9, 1899
2 cents forward letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
Welland to Toronto, March 8, 1899
2 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration
2 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration
River Louison to Knowlton, May 14, 1900
2 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
Virgil to Toronto, Februaary 25, 1902
2 cents letter rate + 5 cents registration fee
7. Express Letters (Special Delivery)
Special delivery service by special messenger was introduced on July 1, 1898, limited to specified cities. A "Special Delivery" stamp of the value of 10 cents was required for this purpose.
Toronto to Hamilton, September 5, 1900
2 cents letter rate + 10 cents special delivery fee
